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Original poster

I don't WANT a parent helper to write comments about dd1's reading in her reading book!

306 replies

pilote · 16/10/2007 21:44

Is she a teacher? NO! Am I being totally unreasonable to ask her teacher who this person is and what her qualifications are? The TA already does most of the reading and handwriting practice with dd1, what is her bloody teacher doing all day fgs.

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Merlin · 16/10/2007 21:46

Book Week currently in DS's school and parents are invited in on set days to listen to reading and also read to the children. We were warned that comments in their reading records could be a bit different - maybe this is the reason??

hana · 16/10/2007 21:47

get over it
you should be glad that your dd is being listened to in the first place

you need to chill

ScaryScaryNight · 16/10/2007 21:47

I take it from your op that your DD is the only child in her class?

LIZS · 16/10/2007 21:47

We have a rota of parent helpers and we all hear kids read and comment. Teacher or TA hears dd twice a week. Each child takes 5 minutes or more to hear so it would be a large chunk of class teaching time for the teacher to hear them all herself each day.

Original poster
pilote · 16/10/2007 21:48

no, not book week

She has been there for a couple of weeks I think. I have NO IDEA who she is - another mother asked me a week or so ago if I knew who she was and dd1 has no idea, a mother of a child in year 2 apparently.

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Jekyllywoo · 16/10/2007 21:49

Um.. her teacher is probably trying to teach 26 other little people. What is the problem with a parent helper? she is writing comments after hearing your dd, what qualifications does she need? I have no doubt in my mind that your dd's teacher is NOT sitting on her butt all day leaving the work up to the parent helpers. Perhaps you should go in and help yourself then you see what's going on. Give the teacher a break and worry about bigger things. (I take it the comments were bad then..)

Hulababy · 16/10/2007 21:49

Planning the curriculum, delivering the curriculum, marking and assessing pupil work and feeding back, working with whole class and/or small groups, doing oen to one with other pupils...

Most of DD's reading is done to a TA. The TA does this as a one to one with individual children, allowing them more time per day to be heard reading alone. If it was just down to a teacher, then she wouldn't be able to read aloud on an individual basis as often - teacher busing teaching!

How much TA times the class get, and how many children?

DD's class has a FT TA and just 15 children. This means all children can read daily. I can understand why in a bigger class they may chose to use parent helper's too.

I am not sure why you feel there is a problem. The parent will have been told what to do and how to go about it. It's not difficult to listen to a child read after all. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages IMO.

Feenie · 16/10/2007 21:49

Her bldy teacher is busy teaching her reading, the TA and parent helper are hearing her read, and providing extra opportunities for her to practise what the teacher has taught.

Agreed - you need to chill.

Feenie · 16/10/2007 21:50

bloody

Damn the 'o' on this stupid keyboard!

MaryBleedinShelley · 16/10/2007 21:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
pilote · 16/10/2007 21:50

What are teachers supposed to be doing if not teaching reading? There are 25 kids in the class and TWO teachers, it isnt as if they are rushed off their feet.

I don't mind someone listening to dd1 read but not to comment on how she could improve. I don't comment on other peoples children and I dont expect to have to listen to other mothers advice on how to help mine, however well meaning

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moopymoo · 16/10/2007 21:50

really, chill. there is no way that this is negatively affecting her education. can you go in as a parent helper and listen sometimes?

Hulababy · 16/10/2007 21:51

If you are concerned why don't you volunter to be a parent helper and go and listen to children read. Then you can see how it all works and "what her bloody teacher doing all day fgs"

DottydotsofBloodOnTheFloor · 16/10/2007 21:51

I think this one's tricky. Dp has just started going into ds1's school one day a week to listen to children read. She's extremely intelligent, has an adult teaching qualification but not a PGCE etc., she's patient, and motivated. But she's not a teacher or teaching assistant. So I probably think as a parent I'd feel happy with another parent writing something very simple to say that the book had been read, but any more than that I'd probably want the teacher to write.

Original poster
pilote · 16/10/2007 21:51

Two teachers AND a TA!

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Blandmum · 16/10/2007 21:51

her 'bloody teacher' will be working with the other children!

How exactly do you think that a teacher can hear 28 or so children read daily, and teach the rest of the class at the same time?

have you ever helped in the class? you may well be quite surprised how busy the classroom is.

ScaryScaryNight · 16/10/2007 21:51

Get a grip!

You have the nerve to complain about a person who gives of her own time to come and help out in class to ensure all the children gets individual one on one reading time?

Hulababy · 16/10/2007 21:52

What are teachers supposed to be doing if not teaching reading?

Listening to a child read is NOT teaching reading. It is just giving the child extra practise.

There are many more aspects to the school curriculum to just reading. presumably the teacher at this time is busy teaching other subject areas or other aspects of literacy.

chloesmumtoo · 16/10/2007 21:52

Well, I think if she is spending her own time helping other children, good on her. If I helped at school and was to put comments in the book I would be deaply hurt if parents didnt like it. I write in my dc's book for notes to the teacher, I am not qualified, she is doing the same! Is it what she is writing, you dont like?

NotAlert · 16/10/2007 21:52

Of course YANBU. Clearly you don't mind if your DD only reads to the teacher perhaps once every couple of weeks because that's about all there'll be time for, but that's so much better than having regular practice with someone who has volunteered to give up some of their own time to enhance the progress of the children's reading.......

mazzystar · 16/10/2007 21:52

lol scaryscarynight

you are being totally unreasonable to be quite so outraged

in fact you should be grateful that she is volunteering her time.

her "bloody teacher" is probably workig her arse off trying to ensure the needs of your daughter and the other 31 children in her class are met.

Original poster
pilote · 16/10/2007 21:52

I have absolutely no interest in hearing any other children read - I work hard enough with my own children encouraging their reading as it is. I think LISTENING to kids read is fine but that should be the limit of their involvement.

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DottydotsofBloodOnTheFloor · 16/10/2007 21:52

I'm glad dp (and hopefully other parents) are going in - in ds1's class there's only the classroom teacher and they only get 1:1 reading once a fortnight - and this is year 1! They read in groups most days I think, but at this age I'd think it was crucial they get lots of 1:1 reading time.

Jekyllywoo · 16/10/2007 21:53

You are clearly deranged and as such deserve no further comment. I cannot believe you can describe teachers as being 'not rushed off their feet'.

You clearly have issues with your dd's reading and are unable to take constructive criticism of board.

screaminghousewife · 16/10/2007 21:53

I should imagine she's more qualified than you are to hear her read, think you're being a touch precious, myself.